Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
) , with thatched-roof cottages and safari tents right by the lake. There's a res-
taurant with expensive food and TV at night. Breakfast costs Tsh5000.
Hekma always has one and sometimes two buses a day from Sumbawanga
(Tsh7000, noon, five to six hours) via Matai. The MV
Liemba
usually arrives
from the north in the wee hours of Friday morning. It often remains at the dock
until dawn and you're allowed to stay on board until it pulls out, but note that
there isn't much warning before it leaves.
Mahale Mountains National Park
It's difficult to imagine a more idyllic combination: clear, blue waters and white-sand
beaches backed by lushly forested mountains soaring straight out of Lake Tanganyika and
some of the continent's most intriguing wildlife watching. And, because of the unrivalled
remoteness, you might literally have the entire 1613 sq km park all to yourself. Like at
Gombe, the rainforest blanketing Mahale's western half is, in essence, a small strip of the
Congo. It's most notable as a chimpanzee sanctuary, and there are about 1700 of our prim-
ate relatives residing in and around the park, with leopard, blue duiker, black-and-white
colobus, giant pangolin and many Rift Valley bird species not found elsewhere in Tanzania
keeping them company. There are also hippo, crocs and otter in the lake and lions, ele-
phants, buffaloes and giraffes roaming the savannah of the currently off-limits eastern half.
There are no roads in Mahale; walking and boating along the shoreline are the only ways
to get around.
MAHALE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
»
Why Go
Up-close encounters with chimpanzees; stunning scenery with moun-
tains rising up from the lakeshore
»
When to Go
Open year-round, but March to mid-May is too wet to enjoy
it. June through October are the easiest (driest) months for hiking up the steep
slopes.
»
Practicalities
There are no roads to the park. Most visitors fly, but a variety
of boats, including the historic MV
Liemba,
goes from Kigoma, Kipili and other
lakeshore towns.
